The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) Commissioner, John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH said, “We know most mosquitoes live their lives and die within a few blocks of the typically stagnant standing water where they were born. Reducing breeding areas is an old strategy we need to bring back to protect our families, neighbors and customers, so in addition to personal bite protection, we urge people across Tennessee to remove standing water around their homes and businesses.”

This mosquito borne virus report come just 11 days after the state reported the first imported chikungunya case in a Madison County resident who traveled to the Caribbean.

WNV is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes are WNV carriers that become infected when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can then spread WNV to humans and other animals when they bite. Rarely, WNV also has spread through transfusions, transplants, and mother-to-child.

Approximately 80 percent of people who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all. Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected will display mild symptoms, which appear 3-14 days after getting infected, and include fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms typically last a few days.

About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness. The severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent. There is no specific treatment for WNV infection. Prevention is by avoiding mosquito bites and eliminating mosquito breeding sites.

In 2013, Tennessee reported 24 WNV cases, including two deaths. The worst year for WNV in Tennessee was 2002 when the state recorded 56 cases and seven deaths.

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With over 25 years of experience and education in microbiology and infectious diseases, Robert Herriman, MPH, M (ASCP) will educate and inform about infectious diseases rare and common, those publicized in the media and those found in your own backyard. He is also the co-founder and editor of the news site, The Global Dispatch. In addition, Robert is the Editor-in-Chief of the infectious disease news magazine Outbreak News Today. Robert also hosts the talk radio program, Outbreak News This Week in the Tampa Bay area. Leads, story ideas, questions and comments can be sent to outbreaknews1@gmail.com